


Forgotten Nights of the Earth Colony

by Abandoned Fics (Prodigal_Sunlight)



Category: SU Diamonds Server, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-09 19:40:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18644785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prodigal_Sunlight/pseuds/Abandoned%20Fics
Summary: Okay so this is a fanfic based of an RP server, so it's completely original Diamonds, rebels, gems, etc. If you're just finding this you can read it if you want to, no one's gonna stop you, but it was written for members of that server so.... it's basically all OCs. And for those of you from the server, this is my fanfic, so there can and will be shipping. You have been warned. :3cThe rebellion was crushed. Earth was colonized. Now rebels and off colors scramble to survive in darkened alleyways, struggling to live beneath the darkened sky. For what few former rebels remain, even hope has lost its luster. But maybe it isn't hope they need. Maybe what they need is to find each other.





	1. Chapter 1

It’s easy to forget the smell of fresh soil just after rain. It’s easy to forget the gentle glow of sunrise after a night spent beneath the faint specks of stars. It’s easy to forget the days when planet Earth hummed with life.

It’s not easy to forget the damage done when it haunts your every step.

Peacock Pearl sits on the narrow ledge of a resource center, miles above the ground, the geometric shape of the building the only reason she’s dry in spite of the pouring rain. It’s the only reason she’s alive, either. She’s gotten into the habit of finding places like this; dry, hidden, quiet. Maybe being so high above the ground is a bit dangerous, but not as dangerous as a run in with the drones.

One of the giant hologram boards lining the city streets switches from a schedule to recorded footage of Lemon Diamond. His blank white eyes stare into the camera with a sickening calm. He smiles, speaking a few brief pieces of propaganda, shifting slightly in the frame as if watching the gems passing across the various streets and raised bridges from building to building. They all knew it was prerecorded, but it wasn’t an empty threat. Simply a reminder, that even if this colony was too insignificant for Lemon Diamond himself, it was monitored. Controlled. Fixed.

As Lemon Diamond’s face continues reminding gems about the dangers of Off-Colors, Peacock glances over her shoulder. The sleeping figure behind her is still out of it, only the gentle rise and fall of her side any sign of life. But that’s enough, really. How much else can you ask in times like these?

It was about eleven, maybe twelve years ago that the rebellion had fallen. It had only been a matter of months after before every shred of organic life was wiped out. Long lines of defectives, forcefully split fusions, and runaways had been marched across the planet, shackled to one another as spires and arenas were built on the grounds that had once been home.

So many lives had been lost in that last fateful fight against the Diamonds. So many rebels laid to waste, swept away like nothing more than pests. Friends and family gone in an instant. And…

Peacock raised a hand, gripping her own forearm so tightly it felt like she might poof. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax her grip. She counted her deep breaths carefully, each slower than the last. One, two, three. It was over. It had been over for years now.

And when Ame’s life was on the line, she had failed.

“Auntie Pea?” Her thoughts were interrupted by a sleepy voice.

She glanced back over her shoulder, tipping her head to the side with a tired smile. “I’m sorry Charlie, did I wake you up?” Peacock asked, patting the ground next to her.

Charlie rubbed her eyes and yawned, but eventually, she crept forward, sitting down next to Peacock. She was starting to get too big for her clothes again. Peacock decided that was one of the harder things about taking care of her, maybe just after finding food. “Nah, the rain was keeping me up,” Charlie said, digging around in her pockets. Peacock retrieved a granola bar from inside her gem, handing it to Charlie. She broke into a full on grin, lighting up like she’d been given the keys to a brand new ship. “Thanks, Auntie Pea,” she said before quickly digging into the pathetic meal.

It was still strange, sometimes. Seeing an old friend’s eyes, her grin, her gemstone, all on the form of a human child. She was glad for the company, and she felt she owed it to the memory of Champagne to care for Charlie, but somedays she couldn’t help but wish she had at least one of her old friends still by her side.

The hologram board changes again, this time flicking through images of various wanted gems. There weren’t many who opposed the Diamonds left. But these days, the wanted boards were all she had to keep up with old acquaintances. With everyone in hiding, reconnecting seemed impossible, but this way she at least knew who was still alive.

Charlie sometimes piped in with questions, muffled by her full mouth. “Auntie Pea, who’s that gem? The really strong one? Do you know them?”

Used to the questions, Peacock let her talk, only interjecting with brief answers and nods. “Yes, that’s Bismuth. I met her a few times around the temple. Always had a friendly word to say.”

“What about that one? Do you know that Ruby?” Charlie asked.

Peacock glanced at the monitor. “No, not that one.” “What about that pretty Agate? It says she likes organics, do you think she’d like me?”

Peacock turned to properly get a look at the board this time. Moss Agate, known rebel, Off-Color, harbours organics and criminals. She remembered her briefly. She hadn’t been a rebel so much as a gentle gem seeking refuge, a place to be free and safe where she could tend to her gardens in peace.

Harbouring organics and criminals—did that mean Moss had a safe place? She couldn’t help thinking of the sunny grove Moss used to tend to. But even if that place had long since been paved over, the two of them needed somewhere they could finally rest instead of wandering face to face. And… although she hardly dared to hope, maybe she’d finally see some old friends.

“I think Moss Agate would like you,” Peacock said, though her thoughts were still tangled up in the idea of seeing a familiar face. “Would… you want to meet her?”

Charlie looked at Peacock with wide eyes, her jaw dropping. “You really mean it? We can go meet her? The last time we met a nice gem was—“ she paused, then trailed off, seemingly struggling to remember.

“We’ll have to find her first,” Peacock said, propping her chin up on her palm. Or rather, she would have to find her. Although technically half-gem, Charlie seemed to be completely incapable of summoning a weapon or using her powers. Putting her in danger would only cause troubles for the both of them. She thought on it for a while, trying to think of a way to find Moss. She’d spent so long trying to keep the two of them hidden she hadn’t made many contacts as Earth had been rebuilt as a colony. So now she wasn’t even entirely sure where to start. Except, maybe…

Peacock tapped her chin thoughtfully a few times before pushing to her feet, stretching. It was a long ways from here, especially seeing as it was too dangerous to risk a warp pad—too out in the open. Charlie quickly shot to her feet too, watching Peacock as she mimicked the stretching.

Finally, Peacock makes up her mind. “Alright, I think I know a way to find her. But you’ve got to stay close to me. Don’t talk to anyone. Where we have to go, there’s going to be a lot of criminals.”

“Criminals… like us?” Charlie asked, smiling up at her hopefully.

“Criminals like us, and ones much, much more dangerous,” Peacock said firmly. “Ones who might be worse than the authorities. So you need to stay close to me and let me lead. Alright?”

Charlie’s smile wilted just slightly, though she still seemed eager at the idea of actually meeting other gems. “Alright. I can do that,” she said, reaching up to hold Peacock’s hand.

Peacock Pearl gave her hand a quick comforting squeeze before picking Charlie up, lifting her onto her back. She was starting to get too big for this. Strange, how humans grew over time. But for now, it was enough. Peacock summoned her twin fans and leapt, gliding through the rainy night, carrying them between beacons and alleyways.

She could only hope this was the lead she had been waiting for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pea and Charlie visit a refuge.

“Alright Charlie. Stay quiet, keep your head down, don’t let anyone stand too close to you,” Peacock said, cupping the girl’s face in her hands.

Charlie grimaced. “Auntie Pea this is the fifth time--”

“I’ll tell you as many times as I have to,” Peacock said, dropping her hands. “We need to be careful, okay?” She glanced at the unassuming doorway, crammed into the basement of storage building in a rundown district. If it weren’t for the subdued glow of neon under the door, she’d have thought it was the wrong place. But no, this was it.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped up to the doorway and knocked on it three times. There was a long, heavy pause, then a small slat in the door slid open, narrowed eyes nearly blocking out the flashing lights and shouting from inside. They didn’t say anything, simply staring at Peacock and her young charge with blatant distrust.

Peacock bit her lip, hesitating. What had they said the password was again? Something stupid like… “Twinkle twinkle little star, point me to the nearest bar,” she muttered. After a moment the slat shut. For a second Pea worried she’d remembered it wrong, but that was followed by the sound of an inordinate amount of locks and deadbolts being slid out of place. Finally the door swung open.

The room was like a poor creation of what the Illegal Moon had once been. Flashing lights, bright colors, bars and stages, crammed into a damp crumbling basement. Everything felt darker, harsher, without the sky to provide some much-needed relief from the constant blinking of lights and blaring music. Even the stars and hearts painted on the walls looked sharp and unwelcoming. On the back wall was a glitzy flaking mural, spelling out in sharp letters, "The Refuge Bar."

Most gems here were the sorry sort. Some sat cracked, unable to find healing in anything but a glass of liquid neon. Others talked in low voices in dark corners, chuckling as they exchanged illegal favors and goods.On the handful of tiny stages, gems danced around silver poles. Some shapeshifted their legs longer, or stepped out onto the tables to fuse with patrons. They all looked happy, but it was the sickly sort of happiness that comes with drowning yourself in false comforts.

The gem who had answered the door crossed her several sets of arms, watching Peacock and Charlie enter with a cold, guarded expression. Peacock quickly took Charlie by the hand, leading her through the dense crowd. The less time they spent in this shithole, the better. She lead them up to the bar, flagging down the bartender.

The bartender, a tall, solidly built gem, approached. She was soft and golden in color, with a smooth gem on her thigh and long thick hair that looked almost like a viscous ooze. She had long eyelashes and thick lips, but there were dark circles under her eyes.She nodded to one of the dancers as she passed them. From the looks of her clothes, she was probably one of the gems who’d fled to Earth when the Illegal Moon had been destroyed. She’d survived it, at least. More than some of the moon’s former patrons could say.

“How can I help you two?” she asked softly, smiling at Peacock and giving Charlie a brief, quizzical glance.

It was tempting to buy a shot of neon, to feel the electric burn through her form and just forget her problems for a while. But she was stuck with the responsibility of being a good role model for Charlie. And on top of that, she doubted it wise to let go of her wits in a place like this. As many gems were here to forget their own troubles, just as much would happily ruin another gem for their own selfish gain. Maybe it was the desperation of the times, or maybe, deep down, they’d always been that way.

“Don’t suppose you have any organic food?” Peacock asked, giving Charlie’s hand a light squeeze. It seemed Charlie was distracted, her face bright and fascinated as she watched the performers dance and spin, fuse and unfuse. It was an impressive display, though it did make Peacock a bit homesick. Maybe homesick wasn’t the right word. Regretful. Wistful. When was the last time she and Ame had shared a connection like that?

“Um, let me…” The bartender turned around, peering through a small window in the back wall. “Fire? What do we have?” She paused for a moment before turning back around with the same tired smile. “We do get gems who enjoy eating now and then; so we have potato skins, deviled eggs, mozzarella sticks--should I just, I should,” she mumbled, pulling up a holopad with a makeshift menu. It was all expensive of course. Eating was a luxury, and as colonization grew denser and denser, the materials for classic organic foods died out.

While it may have been a luxury for gems, food was a necessity for her young charge. Peacock tapped Charlie on the shoulder to get her attention, motioning towards the menu. Charlie looked at it with a grin, baffled and thrilled by the sudden variety of options. I’ll get the potato skins. No, the popcorn shrimp! Mozzarella sticks? I’ve never had any of this stuff, what do you think is good?” she asked eagerly.

“I’ll get you an order of the mozzarella sticks,” the bartender said with a sheepish smile. She turned and bustled off to place the order and top off a few glasses of neon. It was a few minutes before she came back with a steaming plate of fried cheese, a little cartoon of tomato sauce on the side. Charlie ate eagerly, ravenously, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Peacock watched, faintly surprised. It must be that it was better to have real food after years of eating what bars and canned goods they’d scavenged.

As Charlie shoveled down the food, the bartender turned to Peacock, playing with her goopy golden hair. “And is there anything I can do for you?”

Peacock nodded, leaning forward on her stool. “I’m here to see someone. You have a Phantom Quartz working here, right?”

The bartender paused, biting her lower lip. “We do. Do you have an appointment with him? If you don't, um, I'm afraid he’s solidly booked for the next few lunar cycles.”

“Tell him an old friend is here to visit Lime Pearl,” Peacock Pearl said calmly. “He’ll know what it means.”

The bartender hesitated for a moment, her polite customer-friendly smile wavering slightly. Eventually though, she did nod her head, stepping out from behind the bar and heading to a nearby door, the entrance draped with rainbow silks and beads. She opened the door, peeking her head inside. Pea could see soft golden light through the open doorway, hear the sound of warm happy laughter subsiding.

“Honey Opal, what is it? I’m with a client,” a tired voice asked firmly.

The bartender paused, glancing back at Pea and Charlie. “Um… sir, a Pearl asked me to tell you that an old friend is here to visit ‘Lime Pearl.’ She says she doesn’t have an appointment.”

“Well then--wait, Lime Pearl?” There was the sound of scuffling and muttering from the other room. A teary-eyed and somewhat confused Carnelian stumbled out of the room, stammering something about a refund.

The bartender glanced back, motioning for Peacock and Charlie. Once Charlie crammed the last few mozzarella sticks into her mouth, they crossed the room and stepped through the doorway.

This room, although considerably smaller, was leagues nicer than the rest of the building. The floors had a thick white carpet, and the walls were painted a delicate shade of blue. Faux potted plants lined the walls, and fairy lights cast the room in a gentle glow. A large bed lay in the middle of the room, surrounded by shimmery colourful curtains, mountains of pillows piled at the head of it.Sitting at the foot of the bed, with a disbelieving smile, was a rather elegant looking Garnet. The Garnet glanced at Honey Opal, nodding. “You can leave us.”

Once the door was open, the Garnet stood up. Their form glowed, shrinking slightly and taking on a different shape. The bright red of their form faded, desaturating into a sullen pale gray. In their place was a Phantom Quartz, still shaking his head as if to clear his vision. “Peacock Pearl, I never thought I’d see you again.”

Peacock scowled, crossing her arms. “And I never thought you’d stoop so low that you’d sell your power to turn into someone’s dead loved ones. What happened to all that guilt you claimed to have on your shoulders? You’re fine stealing shattered gems form if you’re getting paid, is that it?

Phantom’s smile wilted. “These are dangerous times, you know that. I can buy loyalty, buy safety. I’m not just alive, I’m comfortable.”

“And I’m sure it’s so much easier to ignore the morality of it all when you aren’t the one in danger.” Peacock shook her head firmly, tightening her grip on Charlie’s hand. Phantom noticed, quick for the chance to change the subject.

“Who’s this? Haven’t seen a gem like you before.”

Charlie hesitated, glancing up at Pea. “I’m a Di… defective Ruby. I’m too tall and. Uh. Fleshy. Did you know gems could be fleshy? It’s a defective thing I’m very sensitive no questions please.”

Phantom raised an eyebrow. Peacock wasn’t sure telling him about Charlie’s half-human state would be inherently bad, but it was best to keep it quiet, just in case. She somehow doubted the Diamonds would be pleased to hear the youngest of them had vanished to create a single organic life form.

“I’m not here to critique your career choice. I mean, that’s not what I was coming here originally, I’m still going to do it while I’m here,” Peacock said, gently diverting the topic. “I remembered that back before…”

“Before everything went to hell?” Phantom prompted.

“Before everything went to hell,” Peacock agreed. “You spent some time with Moss Agate, didn’t you? Out by her grotto? And you’re working almost as opposite as you could be from the Diamonds now so I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard a few things.”

Phantom nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Naturally. Every now and then Moss sends flowers so I can keep the neon stink out of my room. It’s not often, mind you.”

Peacock smiled, relieved for the confirmation that there were still rebels out there and alive. “I heard she has some sort of hidden base where she’s been harboring rebels and refugees. Is there any chance, any chance at all you could point me in the right direction?”

Phantom leaned in, his eyes clouded. “Maybe I know, but that sort of information could be enough to get a gem shattered you know. I can’t promise you it’ll be easy. And I can’t say it’ll be cheap either.”

She only had so much money. She put a hand on Phantom’s chest, stepping closer. “Come on, for old time’s sake?” she said quietly. She slid her hand up his chest slowly, purposefully, until it was resting right at the base of his throat.

Phantom didn’t miss the unspoken threat. “...For old time’s sake.”

**Author's Note:**

> And thus ends chapter one. I wonder where Peacock is taking them to? :3


End file.
